The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Book Review

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

review by: Mayte VDB

3.5/5 stars

        The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is about a girl named Mara Dyer who was in an accident, a building collapse. She wakes up in a hospital with no recollections of the accident, and finds out that her two best friends and boyfriend didn't survive. Mara moves with her family to Florida, to get away from her past, and to try to remember what happened. However, she soon discovers that there is something different about her. She has hallucinations and sees her dead friends. She wonders if she is going crazy or if there is something entirely different wrong with her. 

         For this book I had a difficult time choosing between 3.5 and 4 stars. Because most of the book was very interesting, but I did find myself to be bored or frustrated sometimes. This book's writing style and the constant air of mystery made this a quick and fluid read. The author did very well in writing the hallucinations and dreams, because in some cases I didn't even know what was real and what wasn't anymore. The story of Mara is very dark. The author introduces a character named Noah Shaw to us, and he is funny and charming, and lightens the mood when Mara is drowning in her dark thoughts. 

        Overall, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a well written, haunting, and mysterious novel with many unexpected twists and turns. I recommend reading Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, if you like this book. 

Red Queen Book Review

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

review by: Mayte Van den Broeck

4.3/5 stars

       This was one of those books that I picked up, because of the cover. One of those books that thankfully was as good as its cover, if not better. 

Red Queen is about a world where there are wealthy/royal people with silver blood, and amazing supernatural abilities. These Silvers rule over the Reds, ordinary people with red blood, who are treated terribly, work for the silvers, and are sent to die at 18 in war. The main character, Mare Barrow is a Red, and her 18th birthday is approaching. However, a twist of fate leads her to the world of the Silvers. Where she learns that power is a dangerous game. 

       Victoria Aveyard's writing is smart, full of imagery, and full of action. I liked how she paced the book, not to fast and not too full of action, yet not too slow either. One of the sentences that is repeated over and over throughout the book is "anyone can betray anyone." And this is very true. The plot twist in the end was so beautifully written and built up to so well, that I had not seen it coming in the least. This book is beautiful and dark, and the world in which it is built is wonderfully written. It reminds me of a maze, full of dark twists and turns in the plot.

       I definitely recommend this book to fans of dystopian and fantasy stories. Whilst waiting for the sequel to this book, I recommend The Young Elites by Marie Lu.  Because the mood and stories of both books are similar.